Giving Every Kid a Fair Chance

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Ethan Sun. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. 

Ethan Sun, 17, loves learning languages. He’s taking Spanish in school but is independently studying French and Arabic as a way to enable himself to speak to more people. His communitive approach also prompts his enjoyment of music across genres and country of origin, intrigued with the way people express themselves. Ethan’s hobbies and his experience volunteering with refugee students have left him full of empathy for those facing roadblocks due to the lack of resources and opportunities that have been available to him. 

Three years ago, Ethan took this empathy and founded Hope4Kids shortly after volunteering as a weekly tutor for Casa de Amistad, a nonprofit that helps underserved students reach educational goals. Hope4Kids supports Casa’s mission through recruiting tutors for the cause, organizing fundraising events and hosting STEM initiatives. Through his organization’s efforts, Ethan has raised over $34,000 with an annual benefit performance that highlights local students’ multitude of talents—dance, music, magic, Wushu and more.

What inspires you to volunteer? 

My first major experience was at Casa de Amistad at the beginning of 10th grade. I started tutoring every week. I really enjoy that, because it’s an opportunity to talk to kids who have similar interests, like STEM, but who don’t have the same resources.  

I did other service events with San Diego Refugee Tutoring, too. They hosted events with refugee kids, and we could come volunteer and, for example, help lead them through mini games or help pick shoes for them. It was really cool to be able to connect with them. I was doing a meaningful thing while having fun. It really inspired me. So, I thought that I should probably use my knowledge in order to help, and I started Hope4Kids around the same time.  

Tell us about your volunteer role with Casa de Amistad and Hope4Kids. 

Casa de Amistad’s students are from kindergarten to 12th grade. I’ve tutored a middle schooler for most of my time there. We help them with homework and to prepare for tests, but if they need specific help, we can also provide that. 

Hope4Kids started as a school club and has become a nonprofit. We started by recruiting high schoolers to tutor and mentor at Casa de Amistad. Then, we expanded. We hosted a math summer camp for Casa two summers ago to help students who were falling behind. I also initiate donation drives and coordinate service events. Two years ago, we started a fundraising event as well called the Annual San Diego Young Artists Showcase.  

It takes about three months to plan and brings together students from across the community to perform. Over 100 performers from 10+ schools, elementary through high school, have participated. Last year, we tried to include Casa de Amistad students more by allowing them to perform, do traditional dances and help us emcee. The main purpose is to raise awareness and get donations for Casa. Additionally, I partner with local businesses like Cathay Bank, which has pledged a $5,000 annual charity fund to support Casa de Amistad’s educational initiatives and strengthen its financial standing. 

What are the campus lab tours? 

For the past two summers, we’ve worked with UC San Diego Materials Research Science and Nanoengineering department to provide Casa students with lab tours and professional development seminars. We answer questions about college, engineering or other things that might get students excited about college. 

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work? 

I think the most rewarding part is meeting people from all backgrounds, not only the ones we help but new club members and volunteers from different organizations. I enjoy learning the stories of the people we tutor and the people who run these organizations. The wide variety of experiences makes this really meaningful for me. 

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer? 

The main takeaway is that there are so many people out there who pursue the same passions that I or my peers do, but they don’t have the same opportunities, and that hinders their ability to pursue these passions to the extent that they want to. That part of it makes it important for volunteers to help give more opportunities and support to students who want to go down a similar path. 

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about. 

I’ll definitely be at the lab tours this summer. We haven’t really started planning yet, but I hope to try something new. Off the top of my head, maybe it’s working with other departments at UCSD or maybe even moving away from STEM a little bit. 

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering? 

Talk with friends at school. Try to join more clubs and take on more opportunities. Our school has a service club fair where all the service club leaders make a board and introduce their missions. Anybody in high school or even middle school can come and try to find opportunities. If the club you’re already in offers opportunities to help with service events, take advantage and gain more experience. 

What do you want people to learn from your story? 

Don’t be afraid to volunteer and to help others. Get out there and get involved in your community. 

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Ethan? Find local volunteer opportunities.